News

New te reo Māori resources support implementation of local curriculum

07 November 2018

An ebook and video depicting a group of young primary age children discovering a waka half submerged in the sea has been retold as part of the first new te reo Māori curriculum resources designed through the Te Aho Ngārahu fund - a collaboration with communities and The Ministry of Education.

He Putanga nō Uki is a Ngāi Tāmanuhiri story set in the early 1940s about the discovery of their ancestral waka, Horouta. The resource is targeted at te reo Māori learners of 9-11years old

Ngāi Tāmanuhiri Chief Executive, Robyn Rauna, said the collaboration was an important opportunity for iwi to tell their stories in their own way.

“He Putanga nō Uki is one of those stories we were raised on. To be able to capture it as an educational resource is invaluable and it’ll enhance not only our Māori kids and mokopuna, but contribute to the local history of this region,” said Robyn.

“We’re thrilled to be able to share this story with the country whilst also using Ngāi Tāmanuhiri dialect, and look forward to telling more of our stories over time.”

The Ministry of Education’s Raukura Chief Adviser Te Ao Māori, Dr Wayne Ngata, said working directly with Māori communities to tell their stories as local curriculum resources had unearthed the wealth of information held in oral history across the country.

“We are continuing to work with communities across Aotearoa to deliver new and innovative local resources for te reo Māori learners through the Te Aho Ngārahu fund. He Putanga nō Uki is the first of 80 new resources made to ensure that local NZ history and stories are a central part of all local curriculum,” said Dr Ngata.

He Putanga nō Uki was launched at Muriwai Marae in Gisborne on Friday 2 November, in front of iwi members.

Further te reo Māori resources developed through the Te Aho Ngārahu fund will be unveiled over the coming months.